Will You Love Me Then?

Chapter 11 - Elijah

I was not quite sure what to do with my time off and I was completely unproductive while Addy was at school. I worked my morning shift at the diner and then came home and just did a few household chores. I told Bailey that I didn't need her to watch Addy this week and she tried to suggest that we could spend time together while Addy was at school. Obviously, I turned her down. Again. I just have three more years of dealing with her until Addy is eighteen.

Anyway, I shook my head and drummed my fingers against the steering wheel, watching the dozens of children pour out of the school. I saw Addy's curls and pink backpack at the same time she saw my truck. I waved to her, and she smiled and made her way over to me. I reached across to open her door for her, and she slung her backpack in before climbing in herself.

"How was school today?" I asked casually as I put my truck in reverse and backed out of my parking spot.

"I didn't fail my test."

"Well, that's good news!"

I saw her shrug out of the corner of my eye as she focused her attention out the window. We drove in silence the entire way home. I pulled into the driveway, lost in my own thoughts when Addy spoke up again.

"Is there a reason you don't ever talk about mom?"

I turned off my truck and my heart started beating a little faster, "What do you mean?"

"You never really talk about her?"

I unbuckled my seatbelt, a little unsure what she was asking and got out of the truck. I went to her side and opened the door, helped her down and grabbed her backpack for her. Slinging it over my shoulder, I said, "I never knew my mom."

She half-smiled, "No, I know that..." A sigh, "I just mean, you don't talk about my mom either."

"Where is this all coming from?" I asked, locking my truck as we climbed the stairs to the porch.

"We are doing an ancestry project and I couldn't even fill out half of my paper. It was embarrassing."

I dragged a hand along the back of my neck and unlocked the door for us. I set her backpack on the stairs and took my shoes off, "I'm sorry. I can try to help you fill it out now?"

Addy sighed, "I just feel like I don't know anything about my family other than you are my brother and we are both orphans."

I winced, "I know. I can try to tell you what I know if you want me to?"

She nodded, "After a snack."

"Obviously."

"Obviously," she repeated with a smile.

After we devoured half a bag of Doritos and watched an episode of Addy's newest favorite show, she went to grab her backpack while I went to fetch the old photo albums my dad gave me. I opened the door to my closet and reached up to the top shelf to drag a dusty tote down. I opened the lid and felt that unfortunately familiar lump in my throat form again.

The photo albums were sitting on top of dad's old red flannel shirt that I refused to throw away when he died. The photo on the cover of the album was my dad, his bright blue eyes shining as Addy's mother, my stepmother, kissed him on the cheek. He was so in love in this picture, and this was taken long before cancer wrecked his body. He looked happy and healthy.

"Eli?"

"In here," I called back, pulling the photo album out before putting the lid back on but not before Addy came into my room.

"What is that?" she asked, pointing to the tote.

I stood up, the photo albums in my arms and started walking back out to the kitchen, "It's just a tote of stuff. Come on, I have the photos."